The Clato story: Mockingjay part one
by amir.alexander.315
Summary: The rebellion has erupted, and Clove's life seems to get worst with each ticking hour she's away from Cato, she embarks on a dangerous mission into the Capitol to save Cato, what she finds is something she never hoped would happen. first installment to the final book in the trilogy.
1. Rebels

So this is rebellion? Districts charred. People bombed, roasted over? Posters of Snow's decapitated head, with banners saying 'We burn to live' on them, this is district twelve. Rebellions little child. I look around, seeing nothing but darkness, Katniss had to beg to make this trip, and even now there was three hovercrafts floating invisibly overhead. Cato was still in the Capitol, there'd been no word from him since. I'd wake up in tears, dreaming of them hurting him, hurting him for being a part of my life. My heart begins to pound as we walk inside of an old house in the middle of what would have been some type of meadow. I look at the short wire gates that were beaten over. There's a corpse, right there, hanging lifelessly in the wind. I stumble on something soft and slick as I go. I look down at the hissing orange cat, his pale yellow eyes squint in anger as he hisses a hell of a storm at me. Katniss scoops the cat up, even though it's not hard to see that he doesn't like her much. "Buttercup." She sighs as we walk into the house. The cat wiggles until Katniss lets him loose

I'm surprised at how it's set up. Not much you could call a house when everything was pushed together tightly. I look at the large ceramic tub on the far wall, it's caked in thick layers of smoke, in fact everything is covered in thick layers of smoke and dust. I cough trying to get used to the smell. Plutarch had insisted on me going with her, we were both supposed to be leading this rebellion anyways. "So start getting used to each other." Plutarch had told us the other night. I look at the fake golden mocking jay pin I'd gotten last year, when it all started I was so far from the girl that only cared to have blood on her hands, I was a new person. More deadly, but for the right reason. I place my hand over the handle of my grandmothers throwing knife. They'd given me permission to carry it around whenever we went out, which had only been once including now. The president of thirteen was fairly nice. She was near her sixty's but looked fifty, with spools of tumbling silver hair and cold staggering eyes. I place the knife in the leather holster on my freckled arm. There's a Mockingjay printed on the face of it, the smell of old leather fills my nose. Katniss picks up an old dark colored jacket, there's small singe marks near the collar but other than that…. It's fine. I look at the two mattress that lie up against each other. It's hard not to feel sad in the home. A small fragment of burnt leather catches my eyes. The orange cat from outside begins to circle fishily around me, purring under its breath. "Hey, this thing has a more seductive purr than Finnick." I tell Katniss. Katniss laughs. "You sure that's possible?" Katniss asks taking some untouched medicines from a cupboard. I pull the leather out, seeing the soft book. It was hidden here to escape the fire, which barely touched this house, but still looked as if it had. District twelve was the Capitols chimney district, everything was dirty but kept you warm. I turn to Katniss opening the book. "That was my fathers." She speaks in a soft voice. "Where is he?" I ask, picking up the cat from the ground. She looks at me. "He passed in the mines." She says. I blink. "My father did too, they were mining diamonds from the mountains, and then…" I shrug. We sit in silence for a while, Katniss smiles slowly. "I guess we have more in common than we thought." She smiles. I nod softly. "When were not after each other's throats." I decide to let Katniss's get her final moments alone. I walk towards the door, pushing it open slowly. A tall ash blonde boy waits outside, a metal gun in his hands, I can't help but notice how out of place he looks like this.

Peeta smiles as I walk over, the cat in my hands. "That's Katniss's sister's cat?" He ask blinking in the sun. I smile handing him the cat. "He's a survivor." I smile. Another dark haired boy walks from the woods, a sheath of arrows tucked under his arm, a nice old fashioned bow in the other. Katniss walks out. "My dad's arrows." She smiles taking it from him. I look to Peeta as Katniss begins talking about hunting and traps, I knew she'd had some type of skills the day I'd seen her coming after me, and again on the replays of the games, when she blew up our supplies. Katniss was a hell of a partner. And I was glad to be a _mocking jay_ with her.


	2. ruins

Are there hovercrafts, watching us? Waiting for attack. I try not to pester myself with these thoughts as we speed to thirteen. Katniss sits a seemingly big game bag down on the floor. I watch as the beast inside tears viciously the fabric, trying to break free. Katniss rolls her eyes giving the beast a hard kick. "Shut up already." She leans against Peeta, the stress in her eyes is easily detected. I can see it in my own. I look to her cousin, the one that had wrestled with the peacekeepers last year.

He frowns standing to go to the restroom. I move to the window as we leave the borders of what were the ruins of twelve. Snow had managed to miss the victor's village completely. More thought into this and I begin to think this is purposely, so his people would have a place to stay. I don't Notice Peeta has moved next to me until he begins to speak. "Pretty bad isn't it?" He asks, holding Prim's cat in his arms. I shrug keeping my eyes fixed on the rubble. District thirteen look similar to what they showed us on reaping day, except there wasn't smoke pooling all over it.

From the air, it's about as cheerful as twelve, by cheerful I mean drastic. It was said to be destroyed by the capitol, but an all-new construction had begun beneath the surface, it was about a happy a place as the other districts, but the hunger was more under control, the Capitol had made a deal with them, they play dead and they get to char up all of their sources. If they actually were smart they would have done more than try to burn a nuclear plant. Two large watch towers are the only things that are above surface, a field of invisible hover planes sit in the back, draped by black covers and powered by nucleic energy. It was a pretty hard place, everyone had to be on schedule or else one mistake could ruin everything, we were all due to only a special amount of food per day, on birthdays you could get a small dessert of an extra cup of water, but other than that you pretty much walked around following whatever schedule you'd been dubbed with that morning.

The plane lands with a small thud, making me shift in my seat. Somehow, the orange cat from twelve had found a way to move into my arms. I don't mind, the heart of anything living is better than none. This trip had gone better than planned. We'd put it off for some time due to the fact that I was terminally ill. And the burns and memory loss I'd gotten that last hour of the quarter quell wasn't doing any good either. I still found myself forgetting simple things, like my mother's maiden name, or I'd wake up, thinking I was at my house in the victors village, and I'd freak the moment I couldn't find Cato. Katniss's had asked to become my roommate, we'd gotten room 306. My mother and Sister had moved in next door with the Everdeens, Life wasn't much here, but at least we could live now.

Grace stands in the dead ruins her arms open waiting for my embrace. The fat orange cat dashes from my grip, landing on the ground with a small thud. It slips towards primrose's open arms, licking at her face. I wrap my sister in my arms, trying not to cry. Katniss's and Gale go off to take the game to the kitchen. As soon as I reach the compartment, my family has to go back to their schedule. Peeta helps me get settled in, before heading to kitchen duty to make the lunch. I don't know how long I'll be able to get away with my disregard for the clockwork precision of attendance required by my hosts. Right now, they leave me alone because I'm classified as mentally disoriented, and everyone has to tolerate my ramblings. But that can't last forever. Neither can their patience with the Mockingjay issue.

Katniss comes by at 18:00 to pick me up for the 18:15 dinner, when her comuni cuff goes off. I glance at the oversized watch reading the script. She doesn't seem to mind, but her face seems more worried than ever. I don't know if it's just her finally getting her leisure on district twelve or maybe what's just happened, either way, the minute the cuff goes off, I'm ready. "They need us in command."

Trailing a few steps behind Katniss, I try to collect myself before I'm thrown into what's sure to be another relentless Mockingjay session. I linger in the doorway of Command, the high-tech meeting/war council room complete with computerized talking walls, electronic maps showing the troop movements in various districts. No one notices me, though, because they're all gathered at a television screen at the far end of the room that airs the Capitol broadcast around the clock. I'm thinking I might be able to slip away when Plutarch, whose ample frame has been blocking the television, catches sight of me and waves urgently for me to join them. I reluctantly move forward, trying to imagine how it could be of interest to me. It's always the same. War footage. Replaying the bombings of District 2. An ominous message from President Snow. So it's almost entertaining to see Caesar Flickerman, the eternal host of the Hunger Games, with his painted face and sparkly suit, preparing to give an interview. Until the camera pulls back and I see that his guest is Cato.


	3. Cato

My eyes lock in on the boy with the pressed curls, his eyes seem to look directly into the cameras instead of Caesars face. I don't move from where I stand, perched on my toes like a bird ready for flight. He's alive. Cato is there… alive. My pleasure is outlined with a layer of fear. Why is he up there, like a tribute preparing for an interview, except…? Cato looks hungry, almost starving, and he isn't anywhere near his cocky smile, the one he'd usually duce up around these times. Caesar settles himself more comfortably in the chair across from Cato and gives him a long look. "So…Cato …welcome back."

Cato smiles slightly. "I bet you thought you'd done your last interview with me, Caesar."

"I confess, I did," says Caesar. "The night before the Quarter Quell…well, who ever thought we'd see you again?"

"It wasn't part of my plan, that's for sure," says Cato with a frown.

Caesar leans in to him a little. "I think it was clear to all of us what your plan was. To sacrifice yourself in the arena so that Clove Gatestep and your child could survive." I bite my lip for a semi second before I notice how much of a fool I look like this. I lean back folding my arms waiting for Cato to answer. "This would go much more quickly if you didn't ask questions you knew answers to." He says, looking at the man in disgust.

"Why don't you tell us about that last night in the arena, clear things out for us?"

Cato nods but takes his time speaking. "That last night…to tell you about that last night…well, first of all, you have to imagine how it felt in the arena. It was like being an insect trapped under a bowl filled with steaming air. And all around you, jungle…green and alive and ticking. That giant clock ticking away your life. Every hour promising some new horror. You have to imagine that in the past two days, sixteen people have died—some of them defending you. At the rate things are going, the last eight will be dead by morning. Save one. The victor. And your plan is that it won't be you."

My body breaks out in a sweat at the memory. My hand slides down the screen and hangs limply at my side. I listen to Cato break down each second of the day, the time on the beach, Beete and Johanna fixing the tree in a coat of wire. Him rushing off in search of me, and then, darkness. My mouth hangs open with these words, and suddenly what memories I'd lost from the arena are sticky and hot in my brain. I shiver at this knowledge, wishing I would have turned into a complete loon after those games. Cato's face grows hot. "I lost her and the baby, you took me and now I'm here." He says leaning back in frustration. Everything is silent, from the Capitol all the way to thirteen. I don't move and inch, studying his hard face, his pale green eyes move towards the camera. "I let you down." He whimpers. I can't handle it anymore. And neither can the others.

"You were too caught up in Beete's plan to electrify the salt lake," says Caesar.

"Too busy playing allies with the others. I should have never let them separate us!" Cato bursts out. "That's when I lost her."

"When you stayed at the lightning tree, and she and Johanna Mason took the coil of wire down to the water," Caesar clarifies.

"I didn't want to!" Cato flushes in agitation. "But I couldn't argue with Beete without indicating we were about to break away from the alliance. When that wire was cut, everything just went insane. I can only remember bits and pieces. Trying to find her. Watching Brutus kill Chaff. Killing Brutus myself. I know she was calling my name. Then the lightning bolt hit the tree, and the force field around the arena…blew out." He hisses.

"She blew the arena out Cato… did you know that?" He asks. I shake my head. Cato looks over. "She didn't know what she was doing, we were all a little confused on the plan, Snow was watching her like a hawk, how could she know without him all in her business, you guys wouldn't give her a break, she hated you, you kill innocent kids and you expect people to stay under law, this is why we rebel, hurting kids, innocent teens, it's not the way!" Cato is now basically leaning over Caesar, who has to push him back. Caesar turns to the camera. "All right. I think that wraps it up. So back to our regularly scheduled programming."

Music plays them out, and then there's a woman reading a list of expected shortages in the Capitol—fresh fruit, solar batteries, soap. I watch her with uncharacteristic absorption, because I know everyone will be waiting for my reaction to the interview. But there's no way I can process it all so quickly—the joy of seeing Cato alive and unharmed, his defense of my innocence in collaborating with the rebels.

Behind me, I can hear the accusations against Cato building. The words traitor, liar, and enemy bounce off the walls. "You don't fucking know him." I hiss turning to the door. As I reach the door, Coin's voice rises above the others. "You have not been dismissed, Soldier Gatestep."

One of Coin's men lays a hand on my arm. It's not an aggressive move, really, but after the games, I react defensively to any unfamiliar touch. I jerk my arm free and take off running down the halls. Behind me, there's the sound of a scuffle, but I don't stop. My mind does a quick inventory of my odd little hiding places, and I wind up in the supply closet, curled up against a crate of chalk.

"You're alive," I whisper, pressing my palms against my cheeks, feeling the smile that's so wide it must look like a grimace. Cato's alive. And a traitor. But at the moment, I don't care. Not what he says, or who he says it for, only that he is still capable of speech.

**Thanks guys for reviewing, could you please do that agin, i also try to write each story in under thirty days so i try to update as much as possible, especially on the weekends, okay, review. :)**


	4. Mockingjay

Peeta is the one to find me, curled up in a fetal position, behind my crate of chalk. I slowly lift my head to meet eyes with him. His face is bloody, a bruise eclipses around his nose, the area around his eyes a purple and throbbing. I don't waste time as I lean over to touch his face. "What happened?" I ask before noticing my hard touch might hurt him. He shakes his layers of blonde curls over, as I lean away. "Boggs got me." He speaks in a tough voice. I smirk. "Okay lover boy." I remind him of the games we played back in the arena, when he'd thrown me across the air out of anger, and when I'd threatened him. Well that was basically all the time, but still it was something that made us closer. "You should get back, they'll punish you." I say. He shrugs. "I don't care." He says with a serious look.

The door to the supply room swings open letting in Katniss. She scoots towards me her grey eyes scanning across my face. "Are you okay?" She asks. Before I can even process an answer she notices Peeta. "Omigod, Peeta… are you okay?" She asks, looking at the read stream that ripples through his nose. "Who's this Boggs?" I ask leaning in intently. I cross my arms over my knees, knocking over a crate of erasers with my motion. Katniss is too busy attending to her boy with the bread to notice me. I feel out of place in this picture, as if I'm just a small shadow in the corner of the room. She giggles as Peeta jokes about how much they got into the predicament of him being injured and her becoming a nurturer, I begin to pick up the erasers, counting them as I go, nineteen pink rubber, fifteen green, one orange, seventeen square, nineteen white, seventeen white, pencil stoppers. I look up to find the couple watching me. I bite my lip trying to look serious. "I'm sorry you were assaulted Soldier Mellark." I smile. He nods. "It's not a problem Soldier Gatestep." I can't take the casual act anymore. "I like to think two wouldn't have abandoned the rest of the rebels back in the Dark Days," I say.

"We might have. If it was that, surrender, or start a nuclear war," says Peeta. "In a way, it's remarkable they survived at all."

Maybe it's because I still have the ashes of my own district on my shoes, but for the first time, I give the people of 13 something I have withheld from them: credit. For staying alive. Their early years must have been terrible, huddled in the chambers beneath the ground after their city was bombed to dust. Population destroyed, no possible ally to turn to for aid. . They would be even more powerful if that pox epidemic hadn't flattened their birthrate and made them so desperate for a new gene pool and breeders. Maybe they are militaristic, overly programmed, and somewhat lacking in a sense of humor. They're here. And willing to take on the Capitol.

"Still, it took them long enough to show up," Katniss chimes in. I nod in agreement. "It wasn't simple. They had to build up a rebel base in the Capitol, get some sort of underground organized in the districts," Peeta says. "Then they needed someone to set the whole thing in motion. They needed you."

"They needed Cato, too, but they seem to have forgotten that," I say. "When you left they put him back on air… but not as another interview." Peeta says. Katniss hisses under her breath trying to stop him. My eyes widen. "What'd he say!" I spring up, knocking over a box on pencils down onto Katniss. Peeta blinks slowly, trying to tell me without making me more upset. "He called for a cease fire…" He swallows hard. I can't face this fact, why would Cato decide to end this, he didn't like what this nation was as of now, the capitol wouldn't just go back to normal, we'd be more tortured, maybe a thirteenth district would be added to the games.

I'm afraid of Peeta's answer, but I ask anyway. "Why do you think he said it?"

"He might have been tortured. Or persuaded. My guess is he made some kind of deal to protect you. He'd put forth the idea of the cease-fire if Snow let him present you as a confused pregnant girl who had no idea what was going on when she was taken prisoner by the rebels. This way, if the districts lose, there's still a chance of leniency for you. If you play it right." I must still look perplexed because Katniss delivers the next line very slowly. "Clove…he's still trying to keep you alive."

Images can't come fast enough for me to process this, images of charred district infested with corpse, little twelve year olds being speared to death, more careers being made, and then later of becoming traitors, the whole Idea is insane. I scream, knowing that the quarter quell will go on, this one might have Katniss and Peeta in it, they wouldn't stop. They had to be stopped. I look over to the nervous looking glance from twelve. "Katniss… Peeta." I say in a tone so far from my own I can't believe it's me. I think back to the dress Cinna had garmented me in that last night in the capitol. "I'm ready…. I'm ready to become the Mockingjay."


	5. Drifting

I walk across the blue paneled floor, persistence in every step. I had a fresh layer of determination that had been hidden for some time now. There was something that sparked up in me, the sight of seeing Cato alive and up, just made me want to fly straight out now. We had to get Cato, I push open the door the metallic room, a fresh layer of cold front. I try to look as formal as possible as I walk towards the woman sitting at a large wooden desk. He face looks towards me fishily, her eyes sweep across my face. "Nice to see you again soldier." She says. I try to smile but catch my reflection in the metal wall. I then press my lips back into a scowl. Coin places her glasses into a soft case near her arm, her eyes never leave my face.

I blink. "Are we going to get Cato back?" I ask without greeting her. She seems to find a joke in this. "You can't be serious." She says, her body jerks back as she continues to laugh. I roll my eyes. "I'm not." I whisper in an agitated voice. "He's alive, and he should be rescued, it's only best for a Mockingjay to have companions." I say, placing my hand over the pin one wavers as she leans forward. "Don't be selfish." She says. "Katniss is still the better adored one, we don't have to have you." She says in a quick paced hiss. I lean backwards moving away from her eye contact. I stand up. "I should be getting to my room." I say. "Just think the Cato thing over.

As I walk down the hall I can't help but feel eyes caught on mine. I slowly turn my head to find Gale, the boy with the game bag. He smiles, sweat covering his neckline. I look as he squares his broad shoulders, deciding to persist me. I can't help but smile at this, he moves closer towards me. "Gale." He introduces himself. I nod casually. "We've met like a thousand times." I remind him, he is now in a position that is so close to me that I press against the wall behind me. He smiles cocking his head. "Never without Katniss there to force us to talk." He says. I nod. "She's pretty persistent." I say. "When she knows what she wants, there's no turning back." He laughs. I smile. "Is that a problem?" I hear the familiar voice from behind us. I turn to See Katniss and Peeta making their way towards us. I roll from Gale's sweaty, roasted hot body. I take Katniss's hand leaning into her ear. "Coin said no." I don't see any reasoning in my whispering, I can see that Peeta has already heard what I'd said. Peeta pats my shoulder. "I'll see what I can do." He assures, as I press into Katniss for support. I nod weakly, turning my head as Gale disappears into the crowd. It'd been a day since the news about Cato had surface, and trust me it was erupting across Panem. Whoever rumored this was good. I had allot of the district wanting Cato here. The cease fire might have a rotten effect on the stronger districts that had only been singed by the capitol. I can't help but wonder what life is like for the rebels not under thirteens protective arm. Katniss leads me into the room next to ours. This is where our family's bunker. Grace is the first to wrap me in her arms. "The kids were talking about you." She cries. "They said Snow was going to chop your head right off, and then I told one of the student aides and they made me sit all alone in a corner." She whimpers. I pat her head. "Mom." I look aver to the wide eyed woman, who I'd hurt in too many ways to count. "She won't be going back." My mother assures me with such sincerity that I wave it off. "You can help Prim and Mrs. Everdeen in hospital." I say, playing my hand over her dark golden locks. Prim nods, placing her hands on my sister's shoulders. "Of course you can, we love you." She smiles. I press my hands onto my temples as the lights out warning bell rings. Katniss nods for us to head out, giving the families quick hugs, and we make our way into our room just as the doors slam shut, locking into place.

After the night crew moves out I speak. My voice is soft and I don't expect a respond when I call Katniss. But she's up. "Yeah?" She calls in a soft voice. "Could you imagine a world without Peeta?" I ask in a soft voice responds after a long break. "No… after you've gotten close enough to a person, you just can't." She says. "Katniss." I whisper. "Yea."

"Do you love Peeta?"

"Maybe in a place away from this I will, like the meadow from that song." She speaks in a confidante voice. "I think I love Cato, now." I admit. "That's great Clove."

"I know."

"I hope they get him." I hear her as I drift off. "You deserve something good."


	6. Mockingjay meeting

I can feel an unsettling cloud moving over me as Katniss and I walk down the long sleek corridor. There hurting Cato. The words can't stop playing in my head. "What if Snow is angry the cease fire hadn't worked?" I ask under my breath. Gale, who was walking a few feet under us now walks forward. "They'll at least keep him alive, he's the only thing they have against us." He speaks. I roll my eyes agitated. "You don't know Snow, or Cato." I seethe. "He doesn't want me happy." I refer to Snow. "I don't think most people do." I continue. Katniss gives Gale one look that says, just let her get her feelings out. I holds back as the duo walk into the meeting room. More faces crowd the room than I'm used to. I disappear into a small corner beside one of the rows of the large computers that everyone has found themselves occupied with starring at. I feel out of place here, like i don't belong in this highly classified military center, which i don't. Two years ago i was a sweet fifteen year old girl, turned rotten by the hunger of winning the games, I never thought that winning them would put me where i stand now. I search the Crowd for Coin, finding her in the small office overhead. My eyes meet her cold ones. Why had she called me her. She walks out onto the Balcony, con-mincing another mocking jay meeting. We are all seated for another lecture. Coin walks towards the table a small grin on her face. "Last night a plan was proposed to me." She smiles. "A plan to get our remaining victors here, under the safety of a nurturing environment, we've fooled the capitol a thousand times too much, but sneaking into their prison and making their highly technical security crumble would just be fabulous." She claps her hands together. I smile leaning in. "I volunteer to go into the force." I raise my hand before she can continue. for most of these people, this is the first time they'd heard my voice. I don't stop, my hand raised and eyes squinted. Katniss stands. up. "I also volunteer to go into the force." She says.

Coin smiles. "Absolutely not!" She claps her hands onto the wooden table. I sit back down. "Coin, I have to do something, i cant just sit in my own nightmares soaking up fear each time i walk out in public. Katniss and i were supposed to be symbols, mocking jays are always there to carry on, they need something to do, something to mock, a nest to make, or else their existence is irrelevant." I speak clearly agitated. Katniss hasn't let up her scowl. "I'm fighting for all of the ones that died for this, I have to go with my sister." She says lifting her chin. I look over to Coin. "You two will be put on night watch to keep out nightmares, each morning in replace of breakfast i will allow you an hour of training down in the weaponry room with Mr. Latieer, if you have made progress, and i think you will be able to stand on your own, we will see." She clears her throat. "Subject regarded for now." She adds. Katniss smiles pleased. "I'd also like to propose another deal." She blinks. Coin clenches her teeth. "You are riding on thin ice soldier Everdeen." She says. Katniss smiles pleased. "Then i must be a pretty bad ass figure skater huh?" She jokes, It seems Gale, Peeta and I are the only ones who find this funny, after catching a few hard glares we cease in our laughing. "I'd like to bring in more fresh meat for the district, I'd like a hour a day to hunt." She speaks in a confidant voice. Coin sighs. "That doesn't seem possible." She says. Gale clears his throat. "I'll go with her." He says. Coin shakes her head. "You are not trusted enough, you and my men will take three o'clock watch, while Clove and soldier Everdeen are out hunting, at four o'clock you all will report back underground, the gates to the districts will close and whoever is left out will not be let back in until the next three o'clock watch. I nod. "Fair enough." I say leaning back. But all i could think of was having Cato come back, she'd agreed into making me happy. Cato would be back and i would have him again. I press my hands to my face for the rest of the meeting. I can only let happy thoughts in now, it was the only thing that would Keep me from insanity. Cato, your coming home.


	7. I just want to curse

**A/N I've been trying to write this all day. I am so pissed no one ever reviews, i mean i pour my heart into my keyboard just to have three people who actually care for the story? I want to sound selfish because i usually don't ask for much but damn, i try and work my butt of for silent readers. I mean if you guys don't care about this story I'll start updating once or twice a month, I'm not like other writers, I work hard to make this story-line blend together and spend each waking hour thinking, what can i do to improve this, how can i strengthen this character, what can i do to make this story pop? But is it popping for you, I'm just asking because I don't take this as a side activity, its what i want to do forever and no reviews makes me think i'm no good.**

We march down the flight of cold stone steps, leaving the crowd of citizens with bellies ready to eat breakfast. This was the first day we would get to see to those nice weapons they'd been hiding in the storage unit under the infirmary. The air smells of plastic and is crisp and cool. The first thing i see as we collapse down the flight of steps. i look at the lines of train supplies. I look around the room, the lights are dimmed into a soft fluorescent that makes me look even more pale than I'd like. I catch sight of throwing knives across the room. I am halfway to the box of weapons when a sudden flash of light kisses me. I'm wrapped into a bright light, and the second I turn, I'm take to another world./ I'd never seen a meadow, but this seemed to be where i was now, plush green pillows, Nice moss decorated willows with thick forks filled with wildlife, bugs and grasshoppers that surrounded you. I walk towards the treeline, finding a white hot sun that is companion to thousands of large clouds. Katniss, who had already retrieved her weaponry is loaded and ready. She cocks her head ready to shoot at the sound of a cracking twig. well, the next sound isn't a twig, but the purr similar to lynx and a young boy. "Well look who's deep in the meadow now." Finnick's voice startles me. Katniss has already shot at him, I look as the arrow slows down into a halftime. It crashes into a crystal-like dust as it hits his body. "Whoa there." Finnick laughs.

I jump into Finnick. Hugging the winds out of him. The meadow retracts revealing Beete, relaxed in a wheel chair. He wears a nice deep-blue v-neck, with jeans that sit over his dead limbs. I don't notice the small remote in his hand until I release Finnick. "Where have you guys been?" I ask looking at my new friends. Katniss forces a smile onto her face, hiding behind me. "We unfortunately weren't all invited to look cool and walk around with important looking technology." Finnick Smiles. "I've been working on new skills that will help us in our attack on the capitol." Beete speaks in his deep, yet nerd voice. Katniss has loaded another arrow onto her bow without notice. "I've been training kids on combat skills." Finnick says. Katniss smiles. "We've got to get our sisters down here." Katniss says. "To have a session with you, being the fighter that you are." She adds. "Peeta already brought that to Coin, we didn't want to make any decisions without you and your mothers though..." Finnick stares at Katniss for what seems to be to long of a time. "You know Peeta?" Katniss's voice isn't as welcoming as it is to the weak, I'd noticed how nice she could be to all of the crazy people, did she think that of me? Or was i just to crazy for anyone to notice.

"He seems to have quite a likening to you." Beete speaks. I smirk looking to Katniss. "I'm not ready to like anyone yet." She says in a hollow tone. Finnick smiles, his lips curling like the cat from a book I'd once read about a girl being trapped into another land. I can sense the love hate connection already, i would have thought they'd bonded while i was out after the picked me up, but tit seems that Katniss isn't much of a bonder. Finnick hands me a throwing knife. "You guys know what to do?" The weapons Beete designed were the most industrial material ever, it could break through the helmets of peacekeepers and was lighter than a sheet of paper. After three hours of warming up were handed our weapons. "I'm ready for a deer soup." Finnick smiles as he walks us towards the training doors. I give him one quick hug. "You hang in there kid." He whispers. "They'll get both of them." He says patting my back. As i walk away i figure that 'both' must mean Annie, was she still alive? I turn to a line of guards that stand at the upper level door,, some of the people come in from their morning exercise, mostly the elders and their aides, I catch Prim and Grace helping a small silver haired woman. I wave at them, the knives on my belt jingle as i do, they wave back. I smile as we walk on, Katniss puts me on snare duty while she hunts down wandering larger game. I am put near the treeline where mostly rabbits would be caught. I'm up in a tree watching animals tumble into the quick snapping traps, that is when I hear the scream, something so hard and sharp that I'm flying towards it without thinking, my knife is already folded out when the body jumps at me, I'm sent tumbling back as the heavy body falls over me, I land on a rock, finding my knife embedded in the skull of a grey eyed beauty.


	8. Blood and Gale

My breathing is dense as a sticky blood begins to spread onto my hands, I snatch my freckled palms away from the grey eyed beast, a lynx. I move backwards looking at the cat, sprawled in the high grass of the secondary successional woods. I wipe my hand instinctively on my pants, I'd just made a kill, I'd just took something's life, The crackling of sharply baked brush crackles in my ear. I ready my knife as the crunching bounces closer, I slowly turn to Find Katniss standing, a deer in her hands. I release the tongue I'd been biting. "Why'd you scream?" I ask, taking one of the game bags from out of my pants. Katniss shrugs, inspecting the shrubbery around the area. "I haven't seen these in a while." She say, picking a red fruit from a bush. I slowly take the surprisingly light lynx in my hands, tossing it into the bag without looking. Katniss has now handed me a fist full of the berries. "I had a hallucination I was shooting marvel, when I killed that deer." She says before going to collect the rabbits. I slowly tie the game bag to my belt popping some of the red berries into my mouth. I look down. "I'm glad I got the cat instead of you." I say, helping her cut the snares loose. Katniss's grey eyes flicker into my own. "I had a pet lynx before." She says casually, I giggle at this.

I try to imagine Katniss caring for something that wasn't a starving weakling. I shrug softly. "How'd that work out?" I lean in, listening intently. Katniss cuts a trap to a rabbit that is still live, she cracks its neck softly with her thumb and palm. I open the bag helping her load the rabbits into it. "He followed me everywhere, scared of game and I just couldn't have that." She smirks. "His meat tasted great, but I did find it kinda dry." She says. "Yea, that tesserae oil is never enough to cook something the way you'd like." I say. Katniss's eyes grow large. "You took a tesserae?" She asks. I nod. "Only two, but Cato-." I am almost okay for and instant. Then I think of what is becoming of him by now. I try to wipe the image of him beaten and bloody away but minds are tricky, the more you strain them, the crazier you get and look. Katniss drags the deer towards the clearing, "you think you could carry some strawberries?" She asks. "Prim loves those." She smiles. I nod once, she's trying to use therapy on me, and her aide helps a little, but I secretly know I won't be sane until I'm sure he is.

We arrive in thirteen five minutes early. The citizens stare at us with big eyes, we carry the game bags with pride, blood is splattered and dry all over me, but Katniss doesn't seem to notice it on herself. We walk back into the warm Kitchen where Peeta is there to greet us. He wraps Katniss into a deep hug, something I didn't know they could do away from the cameras. He whispers something into her ear, something that makes her giggle under her breath. It's weird, watching her smile without looking ridicules, I can still feel the old me wrapped in jealously over Katniss, who'd always gotten to share her love to the world opposed to myself. I set the game bags down on the counter, wiping my hand over my nose, I lowly turn to look into the kitchen. Katniss follows me to the sink, where we wash ourselves. Peeta slips a small coin of bread into our pockets. I can feel the hot baked roll singe my skin red. Coin walks into the kitchen, her eyes ready to judge, I turn to look over to her, my dense curls follow my head towards her. "Orders were that you would return to the weaponry shack right after delivering todays hunt soldiers." She says. "We were on our way ma'am." I assure, she scowls at me. "If you want your traitor, then you will follow orders directly, no more slipping up or the mission to receive our Pow's will be terminated, which I will so gladly do." She says sharply. I try my hardest not to roll my eyes and snap on her, a little 'stfu' is long due to this crazy bitch.

I instead nod. "Yes ma'am." I say turning. "Permission to return to my bunker until watch?" I clear my throat." Coin squints her eyes. "Soldier Gatestep dismissed." I leave, holding myself as I go. I am so concentrated on Cato I don't hear the deep voice cooing my name. I turn to see Gale. "How do you deal with coin riding all on you?" He asks. I shrug, "she has something I want, and determination can cover anything." I say. Gale laughs. "What if he's not what you expect?" He asks. I turn to him, ready for him to say another thing about Cato so that I can beat him down. "I mean, you know what the Capitol is capable of, your too pretty to waste your time on someone who is already slowly being turned into a monster." He touches one of my curls, which I snatch away quickly. I don't wait for him to explain his sudden attraction in me. Before I can react right, I have punched him until my hand is bruised, he takes it until Katniss rounds the corner, and she pulls me into the storage room, where I crash down crying. "I'm sorry." I whimper. "He tried to replace Cato." I tell her. Katniss sighs, "just sit here while I take him to the infirmary, coin can't find out about this, so just… stay." She presses her hand to my cheek, I feel like an insane person now, that's what I was, as Coo-coo as Wiress after that blood shower in the games, sickening crazy, but at least I was crazy in love.


	9. Team

I walk along the hard floor in the wee hours of dawn, Katniss and I were on patrol in the lower floors, just getting off from our shift. The night shift was the most haptic, hovercrafts were always trafficking during this time, and we were always on alert for any foreign ships. A few weeks back, prior to my deal with Coin, district eight had signed over to our side, they had been fed up with always supplying the Capitol with things that would be turned on us, since then we gotten a supply of new weapons, each guard been assigned a shock gun, a ray-shooter that could blind you temporarily. I hold the weapon over the holster in my pocket. Katniss folds her hands as we march down a flight of stairs. I blink, trying to familiarize myself with this area. We were due to return our assigned weapons back in a while ago, but the large district and the ant-farm halls had been hard to figure out.

Taking no familiarity in this place I turn to leave. I blink with sudden confusion, a small thud echoes around the walls. I can hear something familiar, a sound that's been here since our arrival in this hall. Katniss, being more observant than I could imagine, has already moved towards the large door that the sound leaks from. She opens the door revealing a putrid smell. I gag as I lean to look over her shoulder, the air over here is much warmer than the rest of the naturally cool district. I can tell there's something wrong with this picture. I slowly make out the forms in the dim clattering ceiling lights, their faces stained with fear. Their eyes puffed and red from continuous tears, that have long since dried out. These were the people that had prepared me for the games last year, though I can't remember their names, I remember each of their sophisticated faces, which are all but whipped away, no pride sits on their looks, in fact they look scarred, I feel a small flush of guilt form for me not knowing what these people are called. The woman, with purple hair and green stained skin stands out the most to me, a guard is now pushing into the room. His seriousness isn't hard to see. "Out of here now." He speaks. Katniss shakes her head. "Why are they here?" She points. The guard ignores her, pushing his gun into my chest as if to scare me. "I've been through enough of this crap to last a life time, what's another bullet?" I speak. Katniss has readied her stunt gun the second I am backed up.

"What happened, Venia?" She asks, moving towards one of the women. "What are you doing here?" "They took us. From the Capitol," she says hoarsely. Plutarch enters behind me. "What on earth is going on?" "Who took you?" I press her. "People," she says vaguely. "The night you broke out." "We thought it might be comforting for you to have your regular team," Plutarch says behind me. "Cinna requested it."

"Cinna requested this?" Katniss snarls at him. Because if there's one thing I know, it's that Cinna would never have approved the abuse of these three, who he managed with gentleness and patience. "Why are they being treated like criminals?" "I honestly don't know." There's something in his voice that makes me believe him, I stop my friend form attacking him any further with her harsh words. We turn to the guard, waiting for an answer. "For stealing food. We had to restrain them after an altercation," says the guard.

Venia's brows come together. "No one would tell us anything. We were so hungry. It was just one slice she took." I turn to the fat woman, her name comes to me in an instant. "Octavia." I don't mean to speak but I must, she looks up, confirming that this is true. I can't get Octavia to uncover her face, but she lifts it slightly. The shackles on her wrists shift down a few inches, revealing raw sores beneath them. "I'm bringing you to my mother." Katniss turns to the guard. "Unchain them." The guard shakes his head. "It's not authorized." "Unchain them! Now!" I yell. This breaks his composure. Average citizens don't address him this way. "I have no release orders. And you have no authority to—"

"Do it on my authority," says Plutarch. "We came to collect these three anyway. They're needed for Special Defense. I'll take full responsibility." I turn to Katniss, the guard sighs, flicking his keys from his pocket, we help the three helpers onto their feet, but even then, they are too weak to really walk, we half drag/half carry them towards the steps. I trip over a small drain in the floor. I blink, noticing a few shower rods above, I can only think of the blood they'd washed away from these walls. In the hospital, we find Katniss mother. It takes her a minute to place the three, given their current condition. And I know it's not a result of seeing abused bodies, because they were her daily fare in District 12, but the realization that this sort of thing goes on in 13 as well.

Katniss pats my back. "She'll fix em up." She assures. I don't speak, as sudden memories come to me, the ride in the elevator had just now began to remind me of those games, and not for the reason of possible death, but the death of Cinna. I began to cry wet tears in an instant. I look to Katniss, who is so consumed within her thoughts she can't see the weeping girl next to her, slowly she turns to my contact. "I take a minute to ready myself for what I'd seen the day before I left Cato. I whisper the words even though this secret isn't something I treasure so much. I am as in-descriptive as possible, trying to keep my words calm, eve with all the malice in it, I can still Imagine my calm, genius of a friend, half dead and bloody, his gold rimmed eyes fluttering in the last seconds of whatever saneness I had saved for a rainy day. Katniss doesn't speak for a while, and when she hugs me I know she won't, this isn't something you solve with words, and only comfort can help at this point. I hug her closer as we both begin our sob fest. I know things will get better, but death isn't something I can do right now.

**A/N Sorry for my absence, we started our final assignment for literature this week and Romeo and Juliet just wasn't my cup of tea, I had to remember the prologue in twenty four hours… ugh, and we watched the most disturbing version ever, it was a modern day version, but they were still speaking shapsherian, I actually kinda licked the 2013 one better than that annoying one, I'm never going to Verona beach. But fair Verona… mm, maybe.**


	10. plans

I walk with Grace at my side, the whole population had been called in for a meeting, feeling lost without Katniss or Peeta to keep me company, I find myself helping with the sick people of the district, we gather in the mesh hall, a gigantic room specifically made for large groups of people to gather in. In my helping of the elderly, I bump into Finnick, who, all but ignores me when I call his name, I try again, this time pushing his broad shoulder. He jumps back into a sane phase, his lips curl as he grabs my hand tightly. "Clove." He speaks, sweating even with the chill vibe of the district. "Why are we here?" He asks, "I told Coin I'd be her Mockingjay. But I made her promise to give other tributes immunity if the rebels won," I tell him. "In public, so there are plenty of witnesses."

"Oh. Good. Because I worry about that with Annie. That she'll say something that could be construed as traitorous without knowing it," says Finnick. Annie. Totally forgot her. "Don't worry, I took care of it." I give Finnick's hand a squeeze and head straight for the podium at the front of the room. Coin, who is glancing over her statement, raises her eyebrows at me. "I need you to add Annie Cresta to the immunity list," I tell her.

"She's Finnick Odair's—" What? I don't really know what to call her. "She's Finnick's friend. From District Four. Another victor. She was arrested and taken to the Capitol when the arena blew up."

"Oh, the mad girl. That's not really necessary," she says. "We don't make a habit of punishing anyone that frail." She says leaning back in her seat. I nod once as Katniss joins us. "What's going on?" she asks softly. I shake my head. I think of the scene I walked in on this morning. Of how Coin and I must have vastly different definitions of frailty. But I only say, "No? Then it shouldn't be a problem to add Annie."

"All right," says the president, penciling in Annie's name. "Do you want to be up here with me for the announcement?" Katniss and I both shake our heads. "I didn't think so. Better hurry and lose yourself in the crowd. I'm about to begin." I make my way back to Finnick and Peeta, Peeta wraps Katniss in a hug. "Get any good game?" He asks, kissing her cheek, I try not to look at her grey eyed friend because I know he will be staring at me, Katniss informs him of the two black tailed deer she'd gotten, "twelve pointers." She announces.

Words are another thing not wasted in 13. Coin calls the audience to attention and tells them Katniss and I have consented to be the Mockingjay, provided the other victors—Cato, Johanna, Enobaria, and Annie—will be granted full pardon for any damage they do to the rebel cause. Enobaria, oops, I'd totally forgotten how brutal she'd became once we'd started the games, she had seemed to be trying to get me out. In the rumbling of the crowd, I hear the confrontation rising. I suppose no one doubted I would want to be the Mockingjay. So naming a price—one that spares possible enemies—angers them. I stand indifferent to the hostile looks thrown my way.

The president allows a few moments of unrest, and then continues in her brisk fashion. Only now the words coming out of her mouth are news to me. "But in return for this unprecedented request, Soldier Everdeen and Gatestep have promised to devote themselves to our cause. It follows that any deviance from their mission, in either motive or deed, will be viewed as a break in this agreement. The immunity would be terminated and the fate of the four victors determined by the law of District Thirteen. As would she own. Thank you."

In other words, I step out of line and we're all dead. I raise a brow, feeling angry for not being able to understand her infinite speech of hard to understand words and her impossible to deal with attitude. I slowly circle past the hard faces of all of the despicable looking citizen's.

Another force to contend with. Another power player who has decided to use me as a piece in her games, although things never seem to go according to plan. First there were the Game makers, making me their star and then scrambling to recover from that handful of poisonous berries. Then President Snow, trying to use me to put out the flames of rebellion, only to have my every move become inflammatory. Next, the rebels ensnaring me in the metal claw that lifted me from the arena, designating me to be their Mockingjay, and then having to recover from the shock that I might not want the wings. And now Coin, with her fistful of precious nukes and her well-oiled machine of a district. But she has been the quickest to determine that I have an agenda of my own and am therefore not to be trusted. She has been the first to publicly brand me as a threat.


	11. Prep

A ridiculous amount of fragranced bubbles slash around me. Octavia hums a soft song under her breath as we are prepared, we would begin prepping today, and by tomorrow we would begin filming things we were to be informed of at a later date, they had already sent out a few hovercrafts to go on the first rescues expedition, it was rumored everything from district two and up had been charred up to bits, no life forms had crept out of those ashes in weeks and I knew nothing would. My mother helps prepare me since there isn't as much staff as back in the Capitol. Katniss sits in the tub with me, her long hair being pulled out of their knots, unlike me she's not too hard to mend, a couple of scars fold across her back and one on her temple, where I had gotten her back in my games. Whereas I am completely a mess, with scars and sun marks that move in weird patterns across my body, small patches of sunburned skin falls out in the acidy water, once they begin to wash it, I notice my hair still has blood from that shower in the arena, deeply singed hair falls into the tub as I am continued in this restless exercise they call beautifying. I sigh when the first part is over, the prep team begin to work on my hair, and Mrs. Everdeen who is also very good with braiding comes along to help out. My mother stands off to the side, picking out fabrics coin wanted us to use to make our Mockingjay costumes, Portia designs the costumes with a very skilled hand that almost reminds me of Cinna's one. I slowly examine myself, the woman I was forming out to be was quite surprising, I had always thought of myself as a bit of a tom boy, in the first games, I would have hated myself for looking this way, almost like Katniss's twin. They scrub my freckles away with hard sponges and some weird skin clearing formula, a scented spray is showered onto us at the last moment. "We'll have make up tomorrow and then were going on Camera." Peeta waits to walk us to our room, he had been recovered for filming too Portia had whipped up some new clothes for him to wear in under an hour, his ash blonde bangs are chopped and slicked back like he'd used to wear, He smiles at us taking Katniss's arm, which she gives to him without resistance. "So how was it?" He asks us in a casual tone, I shrug. "I hate to say this but, very relaxing." I laugh. Even though I am soothed I can't forget that Cato will be being rescued in a matter of minutes. I can imagine the large planes speeding across the nation, diving into the prison walls.

The room is filled with freshly made clothes along with the new clothes Cinna had made before the games. I slowly begin to fold the nicely sewn garments trying to make the starchy lines stay. Once I'm sure that none of these outfits will wrinkle up I toss them under my bed. I slowly sigh, leaning back Katniss is awake when the lights shut off, and she keeps her eyes on me, trying to find sleep within my face. "I'm worried." I speak in a soft voice. She doesn't know how to respond, I can tell by how she moves her brows she doesn't want to hurt my feelings, I know she want to talk about the possibility of Cato being a corpse by now. I had attended every Mockingjay session since that interview he had and ever since then the Capitol had been quite, with the exception of the continues bombing videos they shared with us daily, more districts had dropped from their hard fists, making their supplies lower and making ours stronger, people from more of the lowered districts had begun arriving, filling the districts rooms, we'd most likely get new roommates in a few days, it had been rumored the people from ten and Nine were closing in on the district.

"It'll all be fine Clove, we have to do this , not just for Coin, but for the sake of all of the people harmed in this, we both have to make up for all those people we killed." She says. I nod, even though I know that this room is almost too tinted to see anything in this dark light. She continues. "Clove." She whispers. I don't respond because I know she'll speak without one. "I am so sorry for all the harm I did to you, I had no idea you loved Cato, if I knew that, then well, maybe I would have had a heart." She says. I giggle. "Katniss, that's what made us fight, we were so much alike, we both were smart, and beautiful but to humble to notice, we hated people, I hated Cato for a while, but then I saw that he wasn't just a stupid meat head." I smirk, "everyone has two sides to their story, and we just have to ask for the better side." I smile, the thoughts of Cato makes me blush about nothing. It's weird, thinking of them loading him into their ships, shooting down watching guards, a small frog slides down my throat. "I can't wait for my better side to come back to me." I smile, hugging myself softly, the crave is so strong I want to cry, but me being too strong to be weak ever again, decides not to. Cato, if you can hear my prayers tonight, come to me.


	12. hope

I try to keep my breathing soft as they pin final touches to my outfit. I stand in a tight leather suit, decorated with dark leather feathers and small gold hints. I slowly exhale, blinking softly. Portia jumps up. "Were done." She announces. I look at the creature in the mirror, my hair is fine and silky, with small gold strand falling down in curly ringlets that bring out my large hazel eyes. Katniss stands behind me, her face set to look like a birds, red feathers fall across her body, shoulder pads are placed on each shoulder, with clouds of red black and white feathers fluffing from them.

"You look so beautiful." I admit in a soft voice. Katniss's face falls in a shameful way. Her hair had been left to Mrs. Everdeens care, nice tight braids fall down her back, and up on her shoulder. "You deserve it." I assure. Katniss smiles. "Well ladies." Coin says walking in. "You two have been trained enough to know how to act in front of the cameras." Portia pulls out a newly patented knife holster, pinning my Mockingjay pin onto it. She slides my knife into place, patting it securely. Peeta and Finnick stand in the corner. Waiting to wave us off, soon we would be free to speak our minds and there would be no one to stop it. No scripts, no false smiles and fake emotions. "Were rolling live in 3, 2, and 1." I stand up taller as a pair of clean glass doors fold open. Our two camera men begin to pride around the room in sleek cat like ways, making it hard for me to keep my focus on anything, in order to make us look as organized as possible, they had created a system, the cameramen had orange markers they would hold up when they wanted our attention. "Two years ago, twenty four kids were picked up to be slaughtered once again by their president, and once again, most died." Katniss says. "But four of us didn't four of us lived to tell the story." I say. "We were stolen into the capitols custody by a treaty formed years ago, that promised blood shed from innocent kids." I continue. "These games were known as the hunger games." Katniss says.

"They thought that these pitiful games could take away rage, but the Capitol isn't as strong as you think, they are weak, idiotic even, and even if it causes my life, I will continue to fight, we are your Mockingjay and you must be out helpers, our community, we can do this together." I rage on. Katniss smiles. "They buried one of our cities in ashes, well we know how to climb out of them, now it's their turn, I've had my fair share with fire, Snow it's your turn." The cameras cut off on a high note leaving another fiery ripple. Katniss is already removing the sweaty suit when everyone rushes into the cool air to congratulate us. We stand in the rubble looking at the new sprigs of plant life that up rise from the soil. I slowly bend down to pick up a small green flower. I sniff it, smelling a natural stink. Mrs. Everdeen smiles. "It's a four leaf clover." She announces as I twist it in my fingers. I smile. "Named after me." I blush. "Four leaves mean good luck." She smiles. I grin folding the bottom of the stem slightly. "Hold on." I tell the group. Katniss hands Peeta her slick suit, revealing the tank top and slick pair of jeans under it. "Katniss, Peeta, come with me." I take back my commanding tone the second I throw it out. Peeta is already set and ready to follow me. I slowly part my lips, standing on my toes. Coin walks over to me. "You might want to get this on film." I whisper. She rolls her eyes. "You have twenty minutes."

** XxXxX**

We stand over the ruins of district thirteen, up on a small hill that overlooks the whole place. I slowly turn to the wind path. "If this clover brings luck." I start. "I want to release it to all of Panem." I say in a serious tone. Peeta smiles. "I think that's a great idea Clove." He says with sincerity. My freckled cheeks rise with a grin. I slowly lift my cupped hand to the sky, letting it pull the leaf from my palms. I Lean against my two fellow allies for support. I keep my eyes on the small object, watching it until it disappears. Its then, when a new object rips across the sky,, a dark cloud, something that is familiar to my eyes. It's a hovercraft. Almost brought to my knees by this, I find myself sitting on the ground. Slowly the red Mockingjay symbol surfaces into view, and I know, something hopeful has just arrived.


	13. Clove

A small projector displays the time on the ceiling, 4:12 blinks on and off on the highly decorated roof. I stare at Cato's face, running my fingers over his strong face, Cato hadn't been my first of anything, There had been a few other lucky guys, and I was sure Cato had been with more girls than his he could count up to, which probably means like two…

I wait impatiently to see his pale green eyes wanting him to wake up and kiss me like he did. Every time he touched me, or mumbled in my ear, or ran his fingers through my hair felt like a first. I kick him softly feeling his arm move slightly under my warm shoulder.

"Wake up meat head." I laugh softly. Cato's eye pull open as soon as the first sound of my voice hits his ear drum. I smile placing my face close to his. "You were awake." I state softly. He chuckles softly staring at me, "not every guy in Panem gets to have Clove Gatestep caress them awake, I wanted to enjoy it." He laughs.

"Maybe if she wasn't so sarcastic and rude..." I smile. "And shallow." He laughs softly. I hit him softly. "I'm not shallow." I whisper laughing softly, "You're so shallow." He winks. "Says the blonde." I laugh. He wraps his arms over me.

"I swear Cato, you're a natural disaster." I say letting him kiss my neck softly. Cato mumbles into my shoulder his face glowing under the grey light that leaks from the window. I glance at the ceiling pushing from him. It's 4:14." I raise a brow. "I like numbers when you say them." He laughs, I roll my eyes. "Cato, were not in love so don't start saying lovey things." I insist. 'I'm a few weeks one of us will be returning back to the District." I hug him again.

"We'll both be coming back, just one of us will be alive." He whispers softly. I nod pushing from him. I slowly march in sync with the others, everyone has been told that they were on lock down and that until further instructed, no one was allowed in the halls. I am lost in the crowd of important people, my own nostalgia is the only thing that keeps me from a panic attack. Peeta stands behind me, whispering words of encouragement into my ears. I can see the crowd of people increasing as we make our way to the hospital. I try to see over the people, hearing them gasp as if they have seen something beyond gore. I push past them, staying small and feeble. I slowly push past people, finding Katniss and her mother conflicting in the middle of the room. I slowly turn my head to see Enobaria being hauled in, strapped up to a gurney, Annie Cresta shyly stands in the corner, shivering as if it is below freezing, her eyes are puffed and swollen until it's almost too hard to recognize her, They drape a small light blue cloth over Enobaria, doing the same with who I must suspect is Johanna, I can see bits of Johanna's singed hair circling around my feet, she moans like a walking corpse, sounding as if she had token to much of a drug. I slowly stop in my tracks. Cato…. Where's Cato? Katniss has grabbed my arm now, pulling me hard. I tug away looking around. "Where's Cato?" I ask in a flushed tone. Katniss's eyes darken, dilating almost instantly, but I know she isn't looking at me, I would say she is in space but I'd seen fear to many times to know better, she slowly takes my hand in her pulling me off to the side of the room.

Cato stands in the center of the room, looking crazed out of his mind, ii almost faint in joy, the second I lay eyes on the soft curls, he stands taller than I remember, maybe at a rough 6'1 now, he is way more tanned and muscular than I could remember, his eyes do not find home in mine, although they do meet mines, I can tell there is something wrong. I slowly stand up, finding myself mesmerized in his beauty, he is like a flute player and I am like that of a snake, mesmerized and under a spell. The room is silent as we walk to face each other, he is calm, but breathing densely and wild. "Cato." My voice is fair and filled with love, I can't believe that fate has lied a kiss on me once again, gifting me with everything I could hope for. I slowly stand on the tips of my toes, placing my soft pink shell lips onto his. He slowly places his hands on my shoulder, pushing me down firmly. In two heartbeats, I am slammed back, I find, Cato's hands around my neck, yanking it back and forth. I gasp, shuddering under his hard grip. I slowly find my face turn hot and red, my ears seems as if they are on fire, I want to choked but my wind passage is to tightly placed together, so left to no other device, I black out.


	14. War

"Cato!" I scream. I shake him harder, even go to slapping his face, but it's no use. His heart has failed. I am slapping emptiness. "Cato!" Finnick props Mags against a tree and pushes me out of the way. "Let me." His fingers touch points at Cato's neck, run over the bones in his ribs and spine. Then he pinches Cato's nostrils shut. I scream my head off, throwing myself into Finnick. Finnick's hand moves up and hits me hard, so forcefully in the chest that I am sent flying back into a nearby trunk. I'm stunned by the pain, by trying to regain my wind, "You're killing him!" I scream.

"Sweetie, if I wanted either of you dead, it would have been done by now." He assures. I meet eyes with him. My face pulls into a scowl as I gain my composure. Finnick leans back over Cato, pinching his nostrils close, and then he… Kisses him? No he's not kissing him. I'd seen this happen in the games before, a tribute boy had tried to save his partner by kissing her. Whatever it'd been it'd worked. Finnick pumps air into Cato's lungs, I can see his chest rising and falling, and He's breathing.

I look over to Mags who doesn't move from where Finnick had placed her. Then Finnick unzips the top of Cato's jumpsuit and begins to pump the spot over his heart with the heels of his hands. I notice a slight sense of trust flicker inside of me, he's saving him for me. I tell myself. I lean in desperately to watch, my own breathing makes me sick. How could I sit here enjoying this air while Cato is lying feet away, clinging to his life? Minute's pass by as my hope begins to waver off.

Around the time that I'm deciding it's too late, that Cato's dead, moved on, he gives a small cough and Finnick sits back. I push my weapons across the ground rushing to kiss Cato, I smile as he blinks in happiness, and his lashes flutter open as I cradle his head. "You were dead." I cry. "You stopped breathing." I say. He smiles. "Be careful, there's a force field up ahead." He laughs.

I can tell I am stirring, and my period of joy is over, I feel pain in every corner of my body, shooting across my spin, and starting at my throat. I don't want to open my eyes, but I must see where I am, I open them, looking around, from all of the time spent here I know this room right away, I am in the district rehab center. A jumble of tube run into my throat, sending cool things down my passage, I breath through my nose, with no space left over in my throat for them to place an air tube in. I can feel a sharp cool syringe in my neck, where a supply of morphine is plunged into my system.

"Clove." I hear a soft sweet voice, I can barely look over towards the woman at the edge of my bed but I know who this is. Enobaria. "We never meant to hurt you, we thought they were keeping you hostage, not harm was meant for you." She says placing one of her cool hand over my own. "I can't imagine how abandoned you felt, I am so sorry." I try to speak, but can only make a soft wheezing sound. Enobaria places her soft hand on my chest. "They want me to speak for the mocking jay stuff, about the effect the games had on me." I try to nod but my neck is to sore, Enobaria gives me one last love pat before turning to exit. I slowly sit up and close my eyes so that I can go back into another dream.

I hear a familiar sound of a blade breaking through flesh. "Cato!" I yell. "I'm not waiting to see who the odds favor Clove." He winces in pain, his arm sits covered in a deep black blood the reeking smell sweet and rusty. I cry, my throat dry as a cats tongue. I bite my lip.

"They aren't getting either of us then." I say a tear falls onto my soft worn out boots. My dark blood runs down my arm, coating my hand in a glove of blood. Cato rips off his shirt. "Go home!" He orders. I shake my head. "Cato, I won't." I shudder. He takes my arm yanking the freckled limb into his arm. "No!" I yell pulling away. "I won't leave without you." I cry, spraying blood all over his face. "One of us has to go home! They have to have a victor." Cato insists.

I gulp. "No." I say dropping my weapon. "They don't." I march towards him. I snatch the vile of poison from the ground. "No!" I take his hand. "We each split it, we both go down." I say breaking it open, an orange liquid spills onto the ground. Cato holds out his blade wiping the poison on it. I take the other blade swiftly.

"Trust me." I order. He stares me in the eyes the feeling so real I want to remain in this statement of love, I wouldn't survive reality without him. I had already been loop when he was around, how would I act when he was gone?

I take his arm, holding out my own. "What if only one dies?" He asks. I cough. "Will they take that risk?" Cat blinks. "Together?" He asks softly. I nod my brows rising. "Together." I say. "I love you Clove." He says softly. I steady myself. "Three," I start with a soft hast breath. "Two." Cat says. We meet eyes for the last time. "One!"

I hold the blade against my skin. "Stop! – Stop!" The voice calls. I smile looking over. "Ladies and gentlemen…" I look up at the sky. "May I present the winners…? Of the seventy fourth annual hunger games." I look over to Cato. "Did you cut?" I ask. He shakes his head dropping his blade. "Cato!" I rush to him wrapping my arms around him. We sway lightly as he hugs me tighter than ever. I cry on his bare chest my tears tickle his vein covered structure as we wait to be picked up.

We won the games, but the war was just now beginning.


	15. Breathe

After the first few nights I give up on sleeping, my sweet dreams had all but turned into beautiful night mares, which I couldn't take part in, whenever someone would come to check in on me I would begin to fake sleep, I was to be released from the hospital this morning, but it had been pushed back to before lunch. After her training, Katniss comes to pick me up. She brings a gift of wild clovers Gracie and Prim picked out during one of their field trips to the surface. The lovely green leaves mix with a bundle of pine twigs and soft new acorns. I follow her down to lunch.

No one speaks of Cato, as they did when I thought he was sane in the capitol, even though there is a large brace around my neck. Finnick and Annie sit side by side, with a thin rope wrapped around their wrist, binding them together, Annie speaks under her breath, not daring speak to anyone other than Finnick. I keep my head down, swallowing the warm soup down my throat softly. My mother can't move her eyes from my face, eventually she breaks into tears and Mrs. Everdeen and Mrs. Hale pull her away from the table. The young girl next to me, Rosie, taps on my shoulder. I lift my head to look the small girl in her eyes.

"I like your necklace." She smiles. I nod once, but find the pain to excruciating so I stop almost instantly. Gale's brother, Rory, stares into my eyes. I glance away, wiping my mouth. "Katniss, I want to go take a nap." I tell her. She nods, taking my hand. "Gracie, Prim, help me take Clove back to our room. "No." Prim speaks. "I have to go get her one of the hospitals pillows, I know their only for special patients, but she needs it." She tells her sister. Katniss nods. "Ok little duck." She smiles.

I slowly turn to face Katniss, walking towards the exit. No sooner than I'm in the cabin, I am in another restless sleep. I can't keep violent thoughts from leaking into my mind, but eventually I do fall into a quiet uncomfortable sleep, trying to keep myself sleep as long as possible, but soon enough I am being pulled back into consciousness.

Katniss seems to have gotten used to the pleasure of pulling me from my sleep, she gets me dressed herself, even combs my hair out with an old family comb made from black tailed deer bone and twigs. I keep my hands folded behind my back as we slip through the settling district, everyone had been quite and calm lately, I wasn't sure if it had something to do with my assault, or something I was pushed away from, either way. These things were at the least of my worries. "They took Cato of his sleeping medicine." Katniss murmurs as we reach the training center. I take notice in her comunicuff on her wrist for the first time. I blink. "Are we going to see him?" I ask, hinting how scared I am. Katniss nods. "He's chained up, we'll just be observing his interrogation. I raise a brow. "He's just arrived here, I don't think he should be being questioned." I defend him. "Clove, don't you see? What they turned him into, he hates you and I'm not so sure he's let go of all of the things I did to him either, Cato isn't someone we can trust anymore, we have to treat him as an enemy, to keep ourselves safe." I bite my lip, flexing my hand, prepared to smack the fire out of her, but a brisk sound stops me. Beete watches us with wide dark eyes. "This way Mockingjays." Peeta is already in the room. A small white room filled with computers like the military room, he wears a nice tunic, his hand painted with small moons and stars.

"Sorry, I was helping in the art center." I nod, taking my set beside him. Plutarch and Haymitch enter, welcoming in Enobaria before they dim the lights. I can see a small glow coming from the front wall, and as my eyes focus onto them more, I can see Cato, chained up, with his smooth face cast down. I shudder at this image, hiding my face from him. "It's okay clove, he can't see or hear us." Beete points out. My eyes widen, "what did they do to him?" I whisper in a hollow breath. I breathe densely, fighting back tears, I let out a small weep before holding my breath and trying to stop any more tears, "It was a tracker jacker treatment, they injected small amounts of venom into him and forced him into watching your most crude videos, slaughter, gore craving moments and most of all, you attacking him. He thinks you're the devil himself now, we can't say this is incurable, but with special medicines, I'm sure we can try to revise him." I have to try my best not to start screaming, but I manage. "I'll do whatever it takes." I say. "And that's a promise."


	16. lunch with thy friend

**A/N I'M so sorry, I was in a bit of a hiatus from fanfic, I've been trying to bring up grade, and my social life, so… yeah.**

I pluck another arrow from today's kill, I look at the deer, with its neck snapped back sharply. I run my finger around its neck whispering soft words to myself. Katniss walks behind me, making sure I am okay. "They've been having allot of test run on Cato, they were able to stabilize him enough… to be around people without being strapped down. But we don't know how he'll react with you." She says wrapping her hands around the base of the dear. I blink looking up at the clear puffy blue sky, all clear and shiny stretching across the area, the woods are illuminate with bright natural light that makes my heart flutter with its beauty. I look over to my friend with trusting eyes. "Take me." I say in almost too quiet speech.

Katniss nods assertively, helping off my knees. I dust the dirt from my pants braiding my hair back quickly. I usually don't care about my looks but for some reason I do now. We drop off today's game before taking a series of elevators, which used to remind us to much of the launch pad to Cato's chamber, a group of people stand in the way of him, chatting amongst themselves, writing down notes on the clip board. I make myself comfy in the back of the room, folding my hands over themselves. I can see a single fluorescent lamp hanging from the ceiling, under that bright lamp, sit's Cato, with his face downcast, his hands are bound to the armrest with thick leather straps. This makes me whimper softly. Katniss takes one of my hands holding it tightly. I look up to her smiling warmly.

Plutarch enters looking like he means business with his hair slicked back and his fat eyes serious and stellar. The team of people step aside leaving Cato to him. I can see Cato really good, for a good time. His light eyes glisten softly as they meet mines. Then they dilate quickly. I step back not wanting to do anything that will cause my life. Plutarch leans over, whispering something into Cato's ear. I squint my eyes watching with suspicion. Someone moves in behind me, I turn to see Annie and Finnick standing quietly in the dark. I smile. "How's it been going?" I ask Finnick lowly. "It's great, Coin agreed to give us our wedding." He says with a smile. I frown with suspicion, why would Coin do something as nice as give someone his bride's hand, in her own military district?

But I don't have too much time to wonder, it's about as obvious as the capitol is visible in the dark, she wants to show them were not worried or scared of them, and that we can have fun while we beat them down. I smile trying not to hurt Finnick's feelings by telling him the truth. Katniss takes my place. "How lovely." She smiles. "Yes, Clove, your mother is making Annie a dress. And Peeta is going to be doing the cake." Finnick says. "Oh yes, and Cato and Peeta will be my best men." Finnick nods on. My face drops. "Cato." I repeat.

Annie smiles. "And will you and Katniss be my best women?" she asks skewering her left brow. I look at her bright eyes forcing a smile on my face. "Yes, of course." Katniss says. "Gatestep." Plutarch calls me over. I lift my chin turning on my toes. The room grows silent as I cross the large dim room. Cato looks up at me, I feel the world stop as my pulse rises to an unworldly number. I look away from his sharp, chiseled face. Meeting eyes with Plutarch. "Would you care to invite Cato to lunch with you, he hasn't left this cell in the past few days." I look back down to Cato who sits quietly with his face down.

I struggle with the answer, but I know how lonely it can get being locked up somewhere and being told to stay there and suffer, I _was_ in the games twice. "Yes." I say. "Only if he wants. Cato nods softly, and the next thing I notice, two guards come in to un-shackle him. I move back to look Katniss in the eyes. "I invited him to lunch." I say feeling extremely light headed and drowsy. I slide towards the exit as the first lunch alarm sounds. I walk through the district feeling as if I am going to faint. For lunch we are served a soup which contains god knows what type of meat. I can spot some Beef that the district ten people had brought when they escaped to the district, they had brought herds of Cattle with them, and we ended up keeping them out in a small fenced in area in the forest outside the district. The table is crowded when I get there, the only seat open is one next to Cato, and everyone looks up.

Peeta warily clutches his fork in his hand, nodding softly to me. I sit down slowly, keeping my eyes away from Cato's face. My sister watches me, not understanding why I look so scared, a familiar face sits across from me, Johanna mason. Her face is grimy and her bald head is shining with a few honey brown stubbles surfacing. I look away from her, going back to my lunch. "It's nice to see you again Johanna." I say softly. Johanna looks up, taking a sip of some of her soup. "Friends don't lie Clove." She says. I can't help but laugh at this. I remember how much I'd hated Johanna back in the arena, but I owed some type of kindness to this woman, she'd saved me, and all I'd ever done for her was hand her to the Capitol. "Cato and I had a blast in the Capitol though, we got used to each other's screams." Johanna smiles, raising one of her sleek brows. Cato shakes his head. "Don't talk to her Johanna, we don't deal with what the dog brought in." He says looking into my eyes. I raise a brow slowly. "Hey, leave her alone." Peeta warns. Cato laughs. "Why would you defend her, she only tried to kill you a thousand times, she's worse than the devil, she's basically his mother." He says. "Oh yes and Katniss, that sweater looks lovely on you." He says sadistically looking back to my face. I don't move, holding my spoon in mid-air. Johanna marches across the cafeteria, jerking Cato by his shirt. Peeta helps her haul him off. Even then he is yelling insults my way, and I can't help but begin to cry.


End file.
